older scholarship questions and answers part 2

As you may have noticed, I wrote a blog last week about some of the scholarship answers that I had given while getting ready for college.  I had so much fun with it, and found another set.  This one is later, but still awhile ago.  Remember, italic is what I wrote then, normal is what I wrote now.

2005

Why do you think it is important for you to keep a high GPA?

It is important to keep a high GPA not for the number, but for the education you are receiving.  It is easy to slack off and just pass a class, but you do not get as much out of it as you would if you worked hard to get a good grade.  Everyone should be the best they can be at what they do.  If a person is a brain surgeon or a garbage man, they need to do well.  I don’t know if I would want the brain surgeon to pick up my garbage, he most likely doesn’t know how.  It is important to get a good education, and most of the time having a high GPA is the way to go.

Oh no, you are going to hate me, but it isn’t.  I guess I alluded to that in my answer back then, that all it really matters is what you learned, but it is so true, mostly.  I went all through my college years not caring.  I did my best, I worked hard, I got a D here and there on projects and tests, I improved.  It wasn’t until I went to get into Grad School that I really noticed my GPA, and realized, it wasn’t that good.  However, they knew me, they knew what I could do.  I may not have looked that great on paper, but I was a good student and learned a lot.  Well, they let me in anyways, and I haven’t looked at my GPA since.  I have no idea what it was when I graduated, all I knew was I graduated.  I guess to say why is it important?  It looks good on applications.  Our system of grading people is based around a GPA, and since it looks good to have a high GPA, you should probably have a good one.

Describe one obstacle you encountered during you education and how you overcame it.

Plus one class I need, there are many other classes I would love to take to enhance my education.  I thought it would be nice to get my associates degree in the Spring 2005 so I could go up to the University of Utah.  I figured out I would need to take 21 credits to be able to do this.  I looked on the internet, saw what I needed to do and went after it.  After a lot of problems getting permission, I finally was able to take 21 credits.  The one class I really wanted to take was taught the same time as another I needed to take, so I decided I would take another.  I was suppose to have a prerequisite for it, but got permission to take it anyway.  I signed up, went to the class, only to find out only two people were in it, and the class was soon canceled.  I could have worked harder to get up to the U, do some extra work, but I decided I would just stay around at SLCC another year.

The funny thing is, as I was reading this that is the story that popped into my head.  But, it doesn’t stop there.  Because of this putting me back a year, when I made it up to the University of Utah I didn’t have all of the classes I needed to graduate.  But, I didn’t find this out until I was nearly done.  So, I had to take an online class, that didn’t move as fast as I wanted it to, and so put me back another semester, and I didn’t graduate until the Summer.  Ah, lovely.  But, it doesn’t end there.  Because of this, and other small issues, I wasn’t accepted into the Master’s program when and how I wanted to be, and so instead of it taking me 2 years, I took it slower and took the classes they wanted me to take instead of my own choosing like everyone else, and it took me 3 years.  I did eventually graduate with a Masters, but if time had been working with me instead of against me, I could have been done two years earlier.

Please describe the qualities you posses which will help you succeed in college.

I have many good qualities to help me succeed in college.  I am very punctual; I did not miss a day in high school.  I love my major, some days they are the only classes that make me happy.  I am easy to get along with, on more than one occasion I was just talking and people listened to me and we became good friends.  I also like to do things early.  In one of my classes during the summer we got a project to work on the whole semester with check-ins along the way.  I got more work done between check-ins then required, and did more of the project than was necessary.  I have been very successful in college so far and don’t plan to get any worse.

Describe your educational and career goals.

I have taken many classes in architecture, and love them.  I plan to finish my associate degree in architecture her at Salt Lake Community College, then go up to the University of Utah to get an M.Arch.  Afterwards I would like to go and finish all of the things I need to do to become an architect, like the three-year internship and a week long test.

Ah, life.  So, I finished a lot of these by the way.  I did SLCC, went up the U, got a Master of Architecture, so I guess a MARCH…  But so far my career goals haven’t been the same.  They changed the tests by the way, it is now nine small test, well, smaller, and a lot of people fail them the first time or so.  I haven’t been able to get into an internship, but I am thinking, I don’t know if I want to be an architect at all.  I really like houses, and designing them.  And to be a residential designer, you do not need to be a licensed architect at all.  So, the plan for today is to work in a residential design firm, be a good drafter, learn all that I can, design all that I can, even if it is just how the drawing is laid out on the page, and see where it leads me.